Adaptive gateline motor control

ABSTRACT

A method for operating an adaptive gateline may include detecting a patron approaching a gateline. The method may include determining whether the gateline should be operated in a standard mode or in a modified mode based at least in part on data from one or more sensors. The method may include operating the gateline in the standard mode or in the modified mode based on the determination. In the modified mode a barrier of the gateline operates to provide one or both of extra time or additional space for the patron to pass through the gateline relative to the standard mode.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of and is a non-provisional of U.S.Provisional Application Ser. No. 63/015,823 filed on Apr. 27, 2020,which is hereby expressly incorporated by reference in its entirety forall purposes.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In public transportation access systems, patrons often gain access bypassing through gates upon being successfully validated (such as bypaying a required fare). Frequently, patrons will carry luggage and/orrequire additional needs. For example, some patrons may havedisabilities and/or may be accompanied by young children and/or animals(including both services animals and pets). To accommodate such patrons,some current gate providers offer alternative physical hardware (oftenreferred to as accessible gates) that are wider in physical natureand/or run different firmware as compared to the standard gates. Theseaccessible gates operate differently than the standard gates toaccommodate the needs of different patrons, but require the patronsthemselves to determine to use the accessible gate. Existing gatelinesare operated in fixed configurations, with each gate being designated asa standard gate or an accessible gate (which use different firmware).This may result in many patrons using a less suitable gateline, as thepatron may not know which gateline to select. Additionally, patrons maybe dissuaded from using an accessible gate due to long queueing linesthat may build up due to the slower actuation of the accessiblegateline. Therefore, improvements in accessible transit gatelines aredesired.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one embodiment, a method for operating an adaptive gateline isprovided. The method may include detecting a patron approaching agateline. The method may include determining whether the gateline shouldbe operated in a standard mode or in a modified mode based at least inpart on data from one or more sensors. The method may include operatingthe gateline in the standard mode or in the modified mode based on thedetermination. In the modified mode a barrier of the gateline mayoperate to provide one or both of extra time or additional space for thepatron to pass through the gateline relative to the standard mode.

In some embodiments, in the modified mode, the barrier of the gatelinemay open slower, close slower, open wider, open with less force, closewith less force, remain open longer, or any combination thereof ascompared to the standard mode. The sensor data may be provided by one ormore selected from a group comprising: a validation sensor, a mmWavesensor, an IR sensor, a time of flight sensors, and a camera. The methodmay include detecting that the patron has passed the barrier of thegateline. The method may include closing the barrier based on thedetecting. The modified mode may be one of a plurality of distinctmodified modes. Detecting the patron may include receiving validationinformation from the patron. Detecting the patron may be based on datafrom the one or more sensors.

In another embodiment, a method for operating an adaptive gateline mayinclude detecting a patron approaching a gateline. The method mayinclude determining that the gateline should be operated in a modifiedmode based at least in part on data from one or more sensors. The methodmay include operating the gateline in the modified mode based on thedetermination. In the modified mode a barrier of the gateline mayoperate to provide one or both of extra time or additional space for thepatron to pass through the gateline relative to a standard mode.

In some embodiments, the method may include detecting an additionalpatron. The method may include determining that the gateline should beoperated in the standard for the additional patron. The method mayinclude operating the gateline in the standard mode based on determiningthat the gateline should be operated in the standard for the additionalpatron. The method may include detecting fare evasion behavior. Themethod may include sending information about the fare evasion behaviorto a transit authority. The method may include capturing an image of thefare evasion behavior. The information about the fare evasion behaviormay include the image. Detecting the patron may be based on data fromone or both of a movement sensor and a proximity sensor. Detecting thepatron may be based on image data from one or more cameras.

In another embodiment, an adaptive gateline is provided. The gatelinemay include a number of supports that define a pathway therebetween. Thegateline may include a barrier that is movably disposed within thepathway. The gateline may include one or more sensors. The gateline mayinclude at least one processor. The gateline may include a memory. Thememory may have instructions stored thereon that, when executed, causethe at least one processor to detect a patron approaching a gateline.The instructions may cause the at least one processor to determinewhether the gateline should be operated in a standard mode or in amodified mode based at least in part on data from the one or moresensors. The instructions may cause the at least one processor tooperate the gateline in the standard mode or in the modified mode basedon the determination. In the modified mode the barrier of the gatelinemay operate to provide one or both of extra time or additional space forthe patron to pass through the gateline relative to the standard mode.

In some embodiments, detecting the patron may be based on datawirelessly received from a mobile device of the patron. Thedetermination may be made based on a movement speed of the patron. Thedetermination may be made based on validation information of the patron.The determination may be made based on optical data associated with thepatron. The optical data may indicate the presence of one or moreselected from a group comprising, a movement aid, a large object, achild, and an animal. The gateline may be one of a plurality ofgatelines provided at an access point. Each of the plurality ofgatelines may provide identical functionality.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A further understanding of the nature and advantages of variousembodiments may be realized by reference to the following figures. Inthe appended figures, similar components or features may have the samereference label. Further, various components of the same type may bedistinguished by following the reference label by a set of parenthesescontaining a second label that distinguishes among the similarcomponents. If only the first reference label is used in thespecification, the description is applicable to any one of the similarcomponents having the same first reference label irrespective of thesecond reference label.

FIG. 1 depicts a schematic view of a number of gatelines in accordancewith the present invention.

FIG. 2 depicts a schematic view of a gateline sensor arrangement inaccordance with the present invention.

FIG. 3 depicts a schematic view of a sensor arrangement of a number ofgatelines in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 4 depicts a schematic view of a sensor arrangement of a number ofgatelines in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 5 depicts object detection using mmWave sensors of a gateline inaccordance with the present invention.

FIG. 6 depicts a flowchart of a process for operating an adaptivegateline according to embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram of a computer system in accordance with thepresent invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The subject matter of embodiments of the present invention is describedhere with specificity to meet statutory requirements, but thisdescription is not necessarily intended to limit the scope of theclaims. The claimed subject matter may be embodied in other ways, mayinclude different elements or steps, and may be used in conjunction withother existing or future technologies. This description should not beinterpreted as implying any particular order or arrangement among orbetween various steps or elements except when the order of individualsteps or arrangement of elements is explicitly described.

Embodiments of the invention(s) described herein are generally relatedto adaptive gateline motor control systems and methods. Embodiments mayenable a single gateline to operate in a number of different modes toaccommodate the needs of various users. While discussed primarily inrelation to entry and exit points for transit systems, a person ofordinary skill in the art will understand that alternative embodimentsmay vary from the embodiments discussed herein, and alternativeapplications may exist (e.g., event venues, access-controlled areas, andthe like).

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to gate designs thathave a single set of physical hardware and that use adaptive softwarethat responds to access validation information (such as fare mediaand/or biometric data), movement data, and/or optical data to identify aparticular patron and/or knowledge about the patron. In response to thisinformation, the gate may be able to configure itself into differentmodes to enable a different user experience (such as gatemotion/actuation and/or timing) for different patrons. For example, thegate may open wider, remain open longer, and/or close slower to allowpatrons with luggage, disabilities, and/or small children to passthrough before the gate closes, while opening less wide, remaining openshorter, and/or closing quick for at least some other patrons. In someembodiments, a drive control system of the gate may determine how tooperate for a given patron based on the information from the patron'sfare media or other access credential. In some embodiments, theoperation of the gate may be adjusted based on voice commands, which maybe particularly useful in accommodating blind patrons. In someembodiments, sensor data may be used to adjust the operation of thegate. For example, movement sensors, optical sensors (includingcameras,—visible light and/or IR cameras), proximity sensors, and/orother sensors may provide data about approaching patrons that may beused to control a mode of operation of the gate. It will be appreciatedthat any combination of sensor data, validation information, voicecommands, and the like may be used to configure the gate to operate in aparticular mode for one or more patrons.

The use of adaptive software (which may be firmware in some embodiment)to tailor the gate experience for different patrons enables one set ofphysical gate hardware to be used and operated in different manners tomeet the needs of various patrons. For example, the gate may operate ina standard mode and one or more modified modes. In a modified mode, thegate may open slowly, remain open longer, open wider, open with more orless force, and/or otherwise operate different than when operating inthe standard mode. This may enable the gate to accommodate the needs ofpatrons who need additional time to pass through the gate, while alsobeing able to operate in a standard mode that ensures a high level ofpassenger throughput. Such gates enable real-time changes to the patronexperience without the need for the patron to use specialized equipment.This enables gate providers to produce a single gate hardware profile,simplifying manufacturing, installation, and maintenance of gate.Additionally, as all gates at a particular entry/exit point may beidentical, such adaptive gate configurations may result in more evenlydistributed queuing and may simplify the selection of a gate forpatrons, thereby enhancing the end-user experience. In some embodiments,the gates may include sensors that provide information that is used totailor the gate response to the patron while also providing vitalinformation on incorrect behavior to transit agencies. For example, thesensors may be able to detect fare evasion and/or other fraudulentbehavior and may provide information to transit agencies to help catchfraudsters.

Turning now to FIG. 1 , a top view of a number of gatelines 100 isillustrated. While shown here with three gatelines (or gates) 100, itwill be appreciated that any number of gatelines 100 (including a singlegateline 100) may be present in some embodiments. Here, each gateline100 may include two side stanchions 102 and/or other support featuresthat define an entryway and/or exit that allows patrons to enter or exita transportation station once properly validated. The stanchions 102 ofeach gateline 100 may be positioned sufficiently far apart to provide apathway that, when fully open, is large enough to accommodate patronsneeding additional space, such as those in wheelchairs, having luggage,and/or are with small children. For example, the barriers 104 may be setto open between about 500 and 800 mm wide, more often between about 600and 700 mm wide in a standard mode, and may open between about 800 and1200 mm, more commonly between about 900 and 1100 mm when in a modifiedmode. In some embodiments, one or more of the gatelines 100 may share astanchion 102 with another gateline 100 (as illustrated here), howeverin other embodiments, each gateline 100 may include its own designatedstanchions 102. To gain access through the gatelines 100, each patrontypically must be properly validated.

The patrons may be validated using any validation technique known now orin the future. For example, each patron may present an access credential(such as a ticket, pass, radio frequency (RF) device, smart phone,and/or other fare media) to a validation device positioned at or nearthe gateline 100. For example, in some embodiments a validation device108 may be positioned on one or both sides of one or both of thestanchions 102. The validation device 108 may include a credentialreader, such as a fare reader, which may be able to read physical media(such as paper tickets), optical identifiers (such as text, barcodes, QRcodes, and the like), RF signals (such as NFC packets), and/or the liketo validate whether a person may access the transportation system. Insome embodiments, the access credential may include a stored valueamount, a security level (such as for non-transit applications in whichgateline 100 is used to control access to a secure area), a type ofpass, an expiration date of the credential, identification informationof the patron associated with the credential, and/or other credential.In some embodiments, the validation device 108 may be configured tovalidate patrons biometrically, such as by scanning a fingerprint,performing facial recognition using one or more cameras (not shown),and/or otherwise biometrically authenticating the patron. In someembodiments, the validation device 108 may be configured to validateaccess credentials stored on the patron's mobile device, such as byusing a wireless connection such as Bluetooth Low Energy as the patronnears the gateline 100. In some embodiments, the validation device 108may validate patrons prior to the patron entering the gateline 100. Forexample, the validation device 108 may wirelessly validate users thatare within a signal range of the validation device 108. The validationdevice 108 (alone or in conjunction with other sensors) may monitorwhether the patron actually passes through the gateline 100, and, uponsuch detection, the validation device 108 may deduct a journey, fare,and/or otherwise send an indication to a back-office that the patron haspassed through the gateline 100. In some embodiments, received signalstrength indicator (RSSI), location information, beacon signals,proximity sensors, and/or other sensors may be used to determine howclose a particular patron is to the gateline 100 to ensure the gateline100 opens at a proper time for each properly validated patron, withoutallowing non-validated patrons to pass through. In addition to properlyvalidating the patrons, the validation device 108 may be configured todistinguish between particular fare types (child, adult, senior, specialpass, etc.).

To control access to and/or from the transportation system, eachgateline 100 may include one or more barriers 104 that extend across apathway of the gateline 100. As illustrated, each stanchion 102 includesa respective barrier 104 that protrudes inward into the pathway. Barrier104 may include turnstiles, paddles, panels, and/or other physicalobjects that obstruct the pathway of the gateline 100 when in a closedconfiguration. As illustrated, the barrier 104 includes two paddles,with one paddle coupled with and extending inward from a respectivestanchion 102 of the gateline 100. In FIG. 1 , the barrier 104 is in aclosed position that prevents patrons from passing through the gateline100. While closed, the barrier 104 may extend into a central portion ofthe pathway formed between the pair of stanchions 102, with ends of thebarrier 104 touching or coming sufficiently close so as to impede theprocess of patrons who have not been properly validated for accessthrough the gateline 100. While shown here with the barrier 104 slightlyangled relative to the stanchions 102, it will be appreciated that insome embodiments the barrier 104 may be substantially orthogonalrelative to the stanchions 102. The gatelines 100 may be able to operatein one or both directions, which may enable the gatelines 100 to beoperated as entry gates, exit gates, and/or both entry and exit gates.In bi-directional embodiments, the gatelines 100 may be switched betweenbeing operated in an entry mode and an exit mode. The gateline 100 mayinclude an actuator (not shown), such as a motor, which may move thebarrier 104 between an open position and a closed position. The actuatormay be configurable between a standard mode of operation and one or moremodified modes of operation. For example, in a standard mode ofoperation, the actuator may be configured to move the barrier 104 at apredetermined speed, duration, distance (creating a pathway between thestanchions 102 of a set distance), and/or other parameters. Theparameters may be set such that the barrier 104 moves in a manner thataccommodates a majority of patrons in a quick manner to help maximizethroughput through the gateline 100. In a modified mode, one or more ofthe parameters of the barrier 104 and actuator may be altered toaccommodate the needs of different patrons. For example, one or more ofthe parameters may be adjusted to give the patron more time and/or spaceto pass through the gateline 100. In some embodiments, a single modifiedmode may be utilized for all non-standard patrons, while in otherembodiments, a number of different modified modes may be utilized. Forexample, the gateline 100 may operate in a first modified mode forpatrons in wheelchairs, a second modified mode for patrons havingwalking aids (walkers, canes, crutches, etc.), a third modified mode forpatrons carrying and/or otherwise having large objects (luggage, bags,groceries, etc.), and/or a fourth mode for patrons with small children.It will be appreciated that the above modified mode use cases are merelyexamples and that any number of modified modes for various patrons maybe utilized in various embodiments.

In some embodiments, some or all of the modified modes may operate witha fixed set of operating parameters associated with the given mode. Insome embodiments, some or all of the modified modes may be adaptable toa given passage of a patron through a gate, such that two similarlyclassified patrons may have different experiences. For example, one ormore sensors (such as imaging sensors, motion sensors, proximitysensors, and the like) may be used to monitor the movement and positionof the patron through the gateline 100. Based on the sensed movement(direction, rate of speed, etc.) and/or position of the patron, thegateline 100 actuator may adapt one or more parameters (speed, duration,distance, etc.) of movement of the barrier 104 to meet the needs of theindividual patron. For example, if the patron is moving particularlyslowly, the gateline 100 may remain open longer, and if the patron ismoving quicker than expected, the gateline 100 may close earlier to helpincrease throughput through the gateline 100.

In the present invention, each gateline 100 within a set of gatelinesmay have identical (or substantially similar, such as when outermostgatelines 100 have an outer stanchion that is not shared with anothergateline 100) hardware, and may be capable of the same functionality toenable variable operation to accommodate users with differentaccessibility needs. To achieve such end results, the gatelines 100and/or area proximate the gatelines 100 may include one or more sensors106, such as proximity sensors, cameras, IR sensors, beacons, LIDARsensors, millimeter wave (mmWave) sensors, time of flight (ToF) sensors,and the like, which are configured to detect 1) the difference between achild patron, adult patron, and/or object (such as a bag) and/or 2) thepresence of a tailgater. The sensors 106 may be configured to provide anapproximate size of a patron/object, detect a speed of a patron/object,detect a position of a patron/object, and/or detect the presence ofpatrons and/or other objects within or proximate the gateline 100.

The data from the sensors 106 may be cross-referenced and/or otherwisecompared to data from the validation device 108. This may enable thegatelines 100 to identify patrons that need the gateline 100 to operatein modified modes and/or to identify fare evasion and/or other improperbehavior. For example, the sensors 106 may detect that a person iscarrying, pushing, and/or pulling an object, such as luggage, a bag, astroller, and/or other large object. The detected presence of the objectmay cause the barrier 104 to operate in a modified mode. For example,the barrier 104 may open slower, open wider, open/close with less force(so as to not knock over or otherwise impact a patron too hard), remainopen longer, and/or close slower than a standard mode of operation.Similar actions may be taken in other situation that may trigger thegateline 100 to operate in a modified mode. For example, a modified modemay be triggered if one or more children are detected (using validationdata and/or data from sensors 106) and/or when a senior is detected(such as based on the validation data and/or data from sensors 106). Insome embodiments, the validation data and/or sensor data may indicatethat a user is disabled, such as by detecting the presence of a movementaid (e.g., a wheelchair, cane, walker, crutches, etc.) and/or based on atype of ticket presented (or based on other information associated withthe ticket, such as profile information of a user holding the ticket).In such embodiments, the gateline 100 may cause the barrier 104 tooperate in a modified mode to open slower, open wider, open with lessforce, remain open longer, and/or close slower than a standard mode ofoperation.

In some embodiments, the speed of the patron may be monitored throughoutthe passage process, with the speed of the patron being used to controlthe speed of operating of the gateline 100. For example, sensors 106 maybe used to determine a rate of speed of a given patron. The rate ofspeed may be used to determine a time needed to pass through thegateline 100, and one or more parameters of the actuator/barrier 104 maybe adjusted accordingly. For example, if a particular patron is movingthrough the gateline 100 at a particularly slow speed, the gateline 100may hold the barriers 104 open longer and/or close the barriers 104 at aslower rate to accommodate the patron's slower pace. In someembodiments, the movement speed of a patron may be used to modify theoperation of gateline 100 for standard patrons as well. For example, thegateline 100 may hold the barriers 104 open longer and/or close thebarriers 104 at a slower rate to accommodate the patron's slower pace ormay open the barriers 104 quicker to accommodate a patron's quickerpace. After each patron, the gateline 100 may revert to a standard modeof operation until validation and/or sensor data indicates that amodified mode is necessary. In this manner, each gateline 100 mayaccommodate users of all accessibility levels, while still maintaining ahigh level of passenger throughput. Regardless of the current operatingmode of the gateline 100, the gateline 100 may close the barrier 104based on movement speed and/or object/patron detection to prevent thebarrier from impacting the patron or other object. For example, one ormore of the sensors 106 may detect the presence of the patron (or otherobject) within the movement path of the barrier 104. The gateline 100may delay the closing of the barrier 104 until the patron or object hascleared the barrier 104 path. In some embodiments, the barrier 104 maybe unable to avoid contacting a patron or object. To account for suchsituations, the barrier 104 may be configured to close with apredetermined amount of force that is at or below a particular thresholdto eliminate or otherwise decrease the likelihood that impact from thebarrier 104 would be sufficiently forceful to injure or knock over apatron. Additionally, the barrier 104 and/or actuator may includesensors that may detect when the barrier 104 impacts a patron or object,which may trigger the barrier 104 to reverse direction (e.g., close ifimpact occurs during opening of barrier 104 and open if impact occursduring closing of barrier 104).

In some embodiments, when the sensor data and the validation data doesnot match, the gateline 100 may determine that fare evasion behavior islikely. For example, the sensors 106 may determine that one or morepatrons are tailgating, as a single validation event may be recordedwhile multiple patrons are detected as approaching and/or attempting topass through the gateline 100. The gateline 100 may also be able todetermine when a patron uses an incorrect fare type. For example, thevalidation device 108 may detect that a patron is using a reduced farepass (such as a child, senior, or special pass), while the sensors 106may determine that the patron does not meet the required criteria forusing such a pass. For example, the patron may present a child pass,while the sensors 106 determine that the patron's physicalcharacteristics (facial structure, size, etc.) do not match that of achild. In some embodiments, when the gateline 100 detects behavior thatindicates possible fare evasion (such as tailgating, multiple usersattempting to simultaneously squeeze through the gateline 100 side byside, and/or other fare evasion behavior), the gateline 100 may alertthe patron (such as by using an audio and/or visual indicator mechanism)that a mismatch was detected, providing the patron an opportunity torectify any issues. In some embodiments, when possible fare evasionbehavior is detected, the gateline 100 may alert one or moreauthorities, such as police and/or transit authority officers to addressthe situation. For example, upon detecting the possible fare evasionbehavior, the gateline 100 may aggregate data about the behavior andtransmit the information to a transit authority or other entity. In someembodiments, the information may include a time and/or date of theactivity, information about any credentials presented during theactivity, an image (still and/or video) of the persons involved in theactivity, identification information associated with the personsinvolved (if available, such as from validation information, biometricidentification such as facial recognition), and/or other information.

In some embodiments, each gateline may be designed to avoid impacts withpatrons and/or other objects where possible through the use of goodsensor signal coverage of the gate area (considered to be within thepath of the moving barriers) with sensing technology. In the case of anobstruction and forced or fare evasion entry attempts, the gateline maymaintain conformance to applicable industry standards for forces exertedon objects. FIG. 2 illustrates a diagram of a single gateline 200 thatshows one example of a physical path arrangement of sensor beams withingateline 200. Gateline 200 may be similar to gateline 100. Asillustrated, the gatelines includes two stanchions 202 that define thephysical pathway. Sensors 206 may produce various detection beams 208that may be used to monitor the progress of patrons. At an entry side ofthe gateline 200, actuation of a barrier movement routine may beinitiated when the patron presents a valid media card and/or isotherwise validated by a validation device. For example, at an exit sideof the gateline, the barrier movement routine may be initiated by one oftwo modes: 1) a “tap on exit” mode that requires a patron to present ofvalid media or be otherwise validated and 2) a “free exit” mode thattriggers the barrier movement when an exit sensor is broken. Asillustrated, gateline 200 includes a number of sensors 206 that mayproduce the various sensor beams 208 shown. Oftentimes, the sensors 206may be mmWave sensors and/or IR sensors, however other sensor types arepossible. During exit, if the barrier (not shown) is in the closedposition and needs to be driven to the open position, the beam 208 d andbeam 208 e may be checked before the barrier is repositioned. If eitherbeam 208 d or 208 e is blocked, the barrier may not be driven. If bothbeams 208 d and 208 e are unblocked, the barrier may be driven and thesubsequent state of the sensor 206 may be ignored. Additionally, duringexit, the beam 208 c and beam 208 e together may be used to monitorpassenger flow in the exit direction when the gateline 200 is in an exitopen mode. In this direction the other beams 208 may be ignored.

When entering the gateline 200, if the barrier is in the closed positionand needs to be driven to the open position, the beam 208 b and beam 208a may be checked before the barrier is repositioned. If either beam 208b or 208 a is blocked, the barrier may not be driven, if both beams 208b and 208 a are unblocked, the barrier may be driven and the subsequentstate of the sensor 206 is ignored. Additionally, during entry, the beam208 c and beam 208 a together may be used to monitor passenger flow inthe entry direction when the gateline 200 is in an entry open mode. Inthis direction the other beams 208 may be ignored.

One example of sensor beam logic of the gateline 200 is described indetail below, although variations are possible in some applications.Note that all beam numbers are referenced for the entry direction. For agate working in exit mode, the opposite beam arrangement may be used. 1)A credit timer may be initiated either when the barrier opens or when acredit is granted (if the barrier is already open). A credit timer maybe the time limit set to allow a ‘credit’ or signal for valid passage ofone person to traverse the walkway. The credit may be a stored ‘message’or signal that the gateline 200 uses to go to into an open mode, andthen wait for an object/passenger to traverse the walkway. Embodimentsmay attribute one credit to enable a single patron/object to move fromthreshold to threshold (i.e. entrance to exit or exit to entrance).

If the barrier is inhibited from opening due to beam blockage, thecredit timer may not start until the barrier opens. 2) The credit timeris restarted when a credit is used, providing that a credit stillremains in the store. 3) The barrier will not open unless beams 208 dand 208 e are clear. 4) If the barrier is held closed for this reason,the credit timer will not start until the barrier opens. The barrierwill never close if beam 208 d is blocked, provided that at least oneother beam 208 is clear, and subject to conditions 7) and 8) below. 5)If all beams 208 are blocked together for a predetermined period of time(such as between about 5 and 10 seconds, commonly about 7.5 seconds),the barrier will close and the credit store will be cleared. 6) Abarrier close delay of a set amount of time (such as between 0 and 2seconds, commonly about 0.5 seconds) will be started either by clearanceof beam 208 d when no credits are left, or on blockage of beam 208 ewhen no credits are left and if beam 208 d has already cleared. Thebarrier will not close until expiry of this timer, provided that beams208 a-c are clear during this period. If beams 208 a-c become blocked,then the barrier will close immediately. 7) If the barrier is due toclose but is held open by beam 208 d being blocked, then the barrierwill close following a predetermined period (such as between 5 and 30seconds, oftentimes about 15 seconds) where no beams 208 change state.8) If the barrier is due to close but is being held open by beam 208 dbeing blocked, then the transitions from cleared to blocked may becounted for beams 208 c-e. When any beam count reaches a predeterminedvalue (such as between 1 and 5, commonly 3), then the barrier will closeregardless of beam state. 9) Passenger Detection Logic may only monitorbeams 208 c and 208 e, and these beams alone may be used to count thepassengers to remove credits. The opening and closing of the barrier maybe dependent on the credit store value is governed by the above rules.10) The passage detection logic may only be active while there is atleast one credit stored and the barrier has been commanded to open. 11)A credit may be used only when beam 208 e is seen to be blocked afterbeam 208 c changes from blocked to clear. 12) Normally the beam logicdirection may follow the direction of the barriers. However in one mode,the patron may walk through the gateline 200 in either direction.

In some embodiments, additional sensors may be utilized. For example, anadditional four beams may be added in a logic series electronic circuitwith beams 208 a and 208 e, therefore increasing the total beam count tonine. The beams 208 may be linked in an ‘OR’ logic circuit via a PACdaughterboard in order to allow the addition of two extra beam positionsat the extreme ends of the gateline 200, thus providing increasedgeometric coverage. For example, the additional beams 208 may bepositioned at a lower height than beams 208 a-208 e. Such coverage mayprovision sensor detection of shorter patrons, such as children.

As illustrated in FIG. 3 , some gatelines 300 may utilize mmWave sensors306 that are positioned within a middle of a gateline stanchion 302.Gateline 300 may be similar to gatelines 100 and 200 and may include anyof the features described above. In some embodiments, the mmWave sensors306 may be directed in both an entry and exit direction, which mayenable the gateline 300 to operate bi-directionally. Additionally, thisposition allows for a wider 3D sphere of received signal on the approachof a patron to the gateline 300. In some embodiments, the use of mmWavesensors enables not only the tracking of the presence, size, and/orspeed of a patron, but may also be used to determine whether a patron iscarrying or concealing a bomb or other malicious object, similar to itsuse in airport environments. These sensors enable the patrons to have anormal passage experience, but also allows for scanning of persons ofinterest. For example, during high risk times and/or in high risk areas,some or all passengers may be scanned for malicious items as the patronspass through the gateline 300. In some embodiments, rather than placingmmWave sensors on or within the stanchions 302, the mmWave sensors (orother sensors) may be positioned above a gateline, such as illustratedin FIG. 4 . Such positioning provides a singular aspect to the gateline.For example, when placed at an appropriate position of height, thesensor will be able to view and cover the gateline pathway in a zonalpattern.

FIG. 5 illustrates the capabilities of mmWave sensors that use differingwave intensity reflections to detect various patrons and/or objects. Forexample, use of mmWave sensors enable the detection and differentiationof objection (both a type and size; e.g., a bag compared to an adulthuman) without the use of multiple sensors or complementary systems(e.g., use of camera and IR together). Embodiments of the presentinvention utilize algorithms that enable the interpretation of receivedsignals to use measured peak voltage ranges and a determination of peakto peak waveforms to indicate the presence of a trailing object,multiple objects, and/or object sizes within expected parameters. Thealgorithm may be tailored based on the mmWave response received and apattern of signal peak to peak received to determine the object shapeand density.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a process 600 for operating anadaptive gateline in accordance with the present invention. Process 600may be performed using any of the gatelines described herein and maybegin by detecting an approaching patron at operation 602. In someembodiments, this may be done using data from one or more sensors. Forexample, mmWave sensors, validation sensors (such as validation device108), IR sensors, cameras, and/or other sensors may be used to monitorpatrons who are approaching the gateline. At operation 604, adetermination may be made as to whether the gateline should operate in astandard mode or a modified mode. For example, information from some orall of the sensors may be used to determine that a particular patron isa standard patron and/or someone who may need the gateline to operate inthe modified mode, which may be a standardized modified mode and/or oneof a number of modified modes. For example, a patron may be detected,using movement, proximity, and/or optical sensors (such as cameras) asbeing a senior, a child, an animal (such as a service animal and/orpet), a patron holding, pushing, and/or pulling a large item, a patronutilizing a movement aid (walker, crutches, cane, wheelchair, scooter,etc.), and the like. In some embodiments, the determination may includedetecting that the patron may be moving at a slower pace for variousreasons, which may necessitate operating the gateline in a modifiedmode. In some embodiments, the determination of whether a patron needsthe modified mode may also be based on validation data. For example, thevalidation of the patron's media may indicate the that patron iscarrying a child or senior pass and may need the accessibility modeand/or may indicate that the patron has a special pass that indicatessome special gateline accommodations be made that requires the gatelineto operate in the modified mode.

Once the determination is made, the gateline may be activated in theproper mode at operation 606. For example, for patrons who are deemed tonot require any adjustments, the gateline 100 may be operated (openedand/or closed) in the standard mode. For patrons needing specialconsiderations, the gateline may be operated in the modified mode. Inthe modified mode, the barrier may operate to provide one or both ofextra time or additional space for the patron to pass through thegateline relative to a standard mode. For example, the barrier of thegateline may open/close slower, open wider, open with less force, remainopen longer, and/or close slower than in the standard mode of operation.In some embodiments, the sensors may monitor the patron's pace and/orotherwise monitor the progress of the patron through the gateline. Thisinformation may be used to customize the speed and/or timing of theopening and/or closing of the gateline to ensure that the gatelineremains open sufficiently long for accessibility mode patrons to safelypass through the gateline. This process may be repeated to each patron,enabling a single gateline to accommodate patrons of varying mobilitylevels, while ensuring that the gateline operates in the standard modewhere possible in order to maintain a high level of passengerthroughput.

In some embodiments, the process may include detecting that the patronhas passed the barrier of the gateline. For example, movement,proximity, and/or optical sensors may detect the movement and/orposition of the patron within or proximate the gateline and enable thegateline to determine when the patron has moved beyond the movement pathof the barrier. Upon such determination, the gateline may close thebarrier prior to admitting a subsequent patron. In some embodiments, theprocess may include detecting fare evasion behavior. For example,cameras and/or other sensors may detect a person jumping the barrier,tailgating, and/or otherwise attempting to evade paying a fare orotherwise being validated. In such instances, the gateline may sendinformation about the fare evasion behavior to a transit authority orother entity. In some embodiments, the gateline may capture one or moreimages (still and/or video) of the fare evasion behavior. The image(s)may be sent to the authorities as part of the information about the fareevasion behavior.

A computer system as illustrated in FIG. 7 may be incorporated as partof the previously described computerized devices. For example, computersystem 700 can represent some of the components of computing devices,such as the various gatelines, and/or other computing devices describedherein. FIG. 7 provides a schematic illustration of one embodiment of acomputer system 700 that can perform the methods provided by variousother embodiments, as described herein. FIG. 7 is meant only to providea generalized illustration of various components, any or all of whichmay be utilized as appropriate. FIG. 7 , therefore, broadly illustrateshow individual system elements may be implemented in a relativelyseparated or relatively more integrated manner.

The computer system 700 is shown comprising hardware elements that canbe electrically coupled via a bus 705 (or may otherwise be incommunication, as appropriate). The hardware elements may include aprocessing unit 710, including without limitation one or moreprocessors, such as one or more special-purpose processors (such asdigital signal processing chips, graphics acceleration processors,and/or the like); one or more input devices 715, which can includewithout limitation a keyboard, a touchscreen, receiver, a motion sensor,a camera, a smartcard reader, a contactless media reader, and/or thelike; and one or more output devices 720, which can include withoutlimitation a display device, a speaker, a printer, a writing module,and/or the like.

The computer system 700 may further include (and/or be in communicationwith) one or more non-transitory storage devices 725, which cancomprise, without limitation, local and/or network accessible storage,and/or can include, without limitation, a disk drive, a drive array, anoptical storage device, a solid-state storage device such as a randomaccess memory (“RAM”) and/or a read-only memory (“ROM”), which can beprogrammable, flash-updateable and/or the like. Such storage devices maybe configured to implement any appropriate data stores, includingwithout limitation, various file systems, database structures, and/orthe like.

The computer system 700 might also include a communication interface730, which can include without limitation a modem, a network card(wireless or wired), an infrared communication device, a wirelesscommunication device and/or chipset (such as a Bluetooth™ device, an502.11 device, a Wi-Fi device, a WiMAX device, an NFC device, cellularcommunication facilities, etc.), and/or similar communicationinterfaces. The communication interface 730 may permit data to beexchanged with a network (such as the network described below, to nameone example), other computer systems, and/or any other devices describedherein. In many embodiments, the computer system 700 will furthercomprise a non-transitory working memory 735, which can include a RAM orROM device, as described above.

The computer system 700 also can comprise software elements, shown asbeing currently located within the working memory 735, including anoperating system 740, device drivers, executable libraries, and/or othercode, such as one or more application programs 745, which may comprisecomputer programs provided by various embodiments, and/or may bedesigned to implement methods, and/or configure systems, provided byother embodiments, as described herein. Merely by way of example, one ormore procedures described with respect to the method(s) discussed abovemight be implemented as code and/or instructions executable by acomputer (and/or a processor within a computer); in an aspect, then,such special/specific purpose code and/or instructions can be used toconfigure and/or adapt a computing device to a special purpose computerthat is configured to perform one or more operations in accordance withthe described methods.

A set of these instructions and/or code might be stored on acomputer-readable storage medium, such as the storage device(s) 725described above. In some cases, the storage medium might be incorporatedwithin a computer system, such as computer system 700. In otherembodiments, the storage medium might be separate from a computer system(e.g., a removable medium, such as a compact disc), and/or provided inan installation package, such that the storage medium can be used toprogram, configure and/or adapt a special purpose computer with theinstructions/code stored thereon. These instructions might take the formof executable code, which is executable by the computer system 700and/or might take the form of source and/or installable code, which,upon compilation and/or installation on the computer system 700 (e.g.,using any of a variety of available compilers, installation programs,compression/decompression utilities, etc.) then takes the form ofexecutable code.

Substantial variations may be made in accordance with specificrequirements. For example, customized hardware might also be used,and/or particular elements might be implemented in hardware, software(including portable software, such as applets, etc.), or both. Moreover,hardware and/or software components that provide certain functionalitycan comprise a dedicated system (having specialized components) or maybe part of a more generic system. For example, a risk management engineconfigured to provide some or all of the features described hereinrelating to the risk profiling and/or distribution can comprise hardwareand/or software that is specialized (e.g., an application-specificintegrated circuit (ASIC), a software method, etc.) or generic (e.g.,processing unit 710, applications 745, etc.) Further, connection toother computing devices such as network input/output devices may beemployed.

Some embodiments may employ a computer system (such as the computersystem 700) to perform methods in accordance with the disclosure. Forexample, some or all of the procedures of the described methods may beperformed by the computer system 700 in response to processing unit 710executing one or more sequences of one or more instructions (which mightbe incorporated into the operating system 740 and/or other code, such asan application program 745) contained in the working memory 735. Suchinstructions may be read into the working memory 735 from anothercomputer-readable medium, such as one or more of the storage device(s)725. Merely by way of example, execution of the sequences ofinstructions contained in the working memory 735 might cause theprocessing unit 710 to perform one or more procedures of the methodsdescribed herein.

The terms “machine-readable medium” and “computer-readable medium,” asused herein, refer to any medium that participates in providing datathat causes a machine to operate in a specific fashion. In an embodimentimplemented using the computer system 700, various computer-readablemedia might be involved in providing instructions/code to processingunit 710 for execution and/or might be used to store and/or carry suchinstructions/code (e.g., as signals). In many implementations, acomputer-readable medium is a physical and/or tangible storage medium.Such a medium may take many forms, including but not limited to,non-volatile media, volatile media, and transmission media. Non-volatilemedia include, for example, optical and/or magnetic disks, such as thestorage device(s) 725. Volatile media include, without limitation,dynamic memory, such as the working memory 735. Transmission mediainclude, without limitation, coaxial cables, copper wire, and fiberoptics, including the wires that comprise the bus 705, as well as thevarious components of the communication interface 730 (and/or the mediaby which the communication interface 730 provides communication withother devices). Hence, transmission media can also take the form ofwaves (including without limitation radio, acoustic and/or light waves,such as those generated during radio-wave and infrared datacommunications).

Common forms of physical and/or tangible computer-readable mediainclude, for example, a magnetic medium, optical medium, or any otherphysical medium with patterns of holes, a RAM, a PROM, EPROM, aFLASH-EPROM, any other memory chip or cartridge, a carrier wave asdescribed hereinafter, or any other medium from which a computer canread instructions and/or code.

The communication interface 730 (and/or components thereof) generallywill receive the signals, and the bus 705 then might carry the signals(and/or the data, instructions, etc. carried by the signals) to theworking memory 735, from which the processor(s) 710 retrieves andexecutes the instructions. The instructions received by the workingmemory 735 may optionally be stored on a non-transitory storage device725 either before or after execution by the processing unit 710.

The methods, systems, and devices discussed above are examples. Someembodiments were described as processes depicted as flow diagrams orblock diagrams. Although each may describe the operations as asequential process, many of the operations can be performed in parallelor concurrently. In addition, the order of the operations may berearranged. A process may have additional steps not included in thefigure. Furthermore, embodiments of the methods may be implemented byhardware, software, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardwaredescription languages, or any combination thereof. When implemented insoftware, firmware, middleware, or microcode, the program code or codesegments to perform the associated tasks may be stored in acomputer-readable medium such as a storage medium. Processors mayperform the associated tasks.

It should be noted that the systems and devices discussed above areintended merely to be examples. It must be stressed that variousembodiments may omit, substitute, or add various procedures orcomponents as appropriate. Also, features described with respect tocertain embodiments may be combined in various other embodiments.Different aspects and elements of the embodiments may be combined in asimilar manner. Also, it should be emphasized that technology evolvesand, thus, many of the elements are examples and should not beinterpreted to limit the scope of the invention.

Specific details are given in the description to provide a thoroughunderstanding of the embodiments. However, it will be understood by oneof ordinary skill in the art that the embodiments may be practicedwithout these specific details. For example, well-known structures andtechniques have been shown without unnecessary detail in order to avoidobscuring the embodiments. This description provides example embodimentsonly, and is not intended to limit the scope, applicability, orconfiguration of the invention. Rather, the preceding description of theembodiments will provide those skilled in the art with an enablingdescription for implementing embodiments of the invention. Variouschanges may be made in the function and arrangement of elements withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention.

The methods, systems, devices, graphs, and tables discussed above areexamples. Various configurations may omit, substitute, or add variousprocedures or components as appropriate. For instance, in alternativeconfigurations, the methods may be performed in an order different fromthat described, and/or various stages may be added, omitted, and/orcombined. Also, features described with respect to certainconfigurations may be combined in various other configurations.Different aspects and elements of the configurations may be combined ina similar manner. Also, technology evolves and, thus, many of theelements are examples and do not limit the scope of the disclosure orclaims. Additionally, the techniques discussed herein may providediffering results with different types of context awareness classifiers.

While illustrative and presently preferred embodiments of the disclosedsystems, methods, and machine-readable media have been described indetail herein, it is to be understood that the inventive concepts may beotherwise variously embodied and employed, and that the appended claimsare intended to be construed to include such variations, except aslimited by the prior art.

Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used hereinhave the same meaning as commonly or conventionally understood. As usedherein, the articles “a” and “an” refer to one or to more than one(i.e., to at least one) of the grammatical object of the article. By wayof example, “an element” means one element or more than one element.“About” and/or “approximately” as used herein when referring to ameasurable value such as an amount, a temporal duration, and the like,encompasses variations of ±20% or ±10%, ±5%, or +0.1% from the specifiedvalue, as such variations are appropriate to in the context of thesystems, devices, circuits, methods, and other implementations describedherein. “Substantially” as used herein when referring to a measurablevalue such as an amount, a temporal duration, a physical attribute (suchas frequency), and the like, also encompasses variations of ±20% or±10%, ±5%, or +0.1% from the specified value, as such variations areappropriate to in the context of the systems, devices, circuits,methods, and other implementations described herein. As used herein,including in the claims, “and” as used in a list of items prefaced by“at least one of” or “one or more of” indicates that any combination ofthe listed items may be used. For example, a list of “at least one of A,B, and C” includes any of the combinations A or B or C or AB or AC or BCand/or ABC (i.e., A and B and C). Furthermore, to the extent more thanone occurrence or use of the items A, B, or C is possible, multiple usesof A, B, and/or C may form part of the contemplated combinations. Forexample, a list of “at least one of A, B, and C” may also include AA,AAB, AAA, BB, etc.

Having described several embodiments, it will be recognized by those ofskill in the art that various modifications, alternative constructions,and equivalents may be used without departing from the spirit of theinvention. For example, the above elements may merely be a component ofa larger system, wherein other rules may take precedence over orotherwise modify the application of the invention. Also, a number ofsteps may be undertaken before, during, or after the above elements areconsidered. Accordingly, the above description should not be taken aslimiting the scope of the invention.

Also, the words “comprise”, “comprising”, “contains”, “containing”,“include”, “including”, and “includes”, when used in this specificationand in the following claims, are intended to specify the presence ofstated features, integers, components, or steps, but they do notpreclude the presence or addition of one or more other features,integers, components, steps, acts, or groups.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for operating an adaptive gateline,comprising: detecting a patron approaching a gateline; determiningwhether the gateline should be operated in a standard mode or in amodified mode based at least in part on data from one or more sensors;and operating the gateline in the standard mode or in the modified modebased on the determination, wherein: in the modified mode a barrier ofthe gateline operates to provide one or both of extra time or additionalspace for the patron to pass through the gateline relative to thestandard mode, the data is generated based on beam information from theone or more sensors, and an opening or closing of the barrier isperformed based on a timer that changes according to change in the beaminformation from the one or more sensors.
 2. The method for operating anadaptive gateline of claim 1, wherein: in the modified mode, the barrierof the gateline opens slower, closes slower, opens wider, opens withless force, closes with less force, remains open longer, or anycombination thereof as compared to the standard mode.
 3. The method foroperating an adaptive gateline of claim 1, wherein: the sensor data isprovided by one or more selected from a group comprising: a validationsensor, a mmWave sensor, an IR sensor, a time of flight sensors, and acamera.
 4. The method for operating an adaptive gateline of claim 1,further comprising: detecting that the patron has passed the barrier ofthe gateline; and closing the barrier based on the detecting.
 5. Themethod for operating an adaptive gateline of claim 1, wherein: themodified mode is one of a plurality of distinct modified modes.
 6. Themethod for operating an adaptive gateline of claim 1, wherein: detectingthe patron comprises receiving validation information from the patron.7. The method for operating an adaptive gateline of claim 1, wherein:detecting the patron is based on data from the one or more sensors.
 8. Amethod for operating an adaptive gateline, comprising: detecting apatron approaching a gateline; determining that the gateline should beoperated in a modified mode based at least in part on data from one ormore sensors; and operating the gateline in the modified mode based onthe determination, wherein: in the modified mode a barrier of thegateline operates to provide one or both of extra time or additionalspace for the patron to pass through the gateline relative to a standardmode, the data is generated based on beam information from the one ormore sensors, and an opening or closing of the barrier is performedbased on a timer that changes according to change in the beaminformation from the one or more sensors.
 9. The method for operating anadaptive gateline of claim 8, further comprising: detecting anadditional patron; determining that the gateline should be operated inthe standard for the additional patron; and operating the gateline inthe standard mode based on determining that the gateline should beoperated in the standard for the additional patron.
 10. The method foroperating an adaptive gateline of claim 8, further comprising: detectingfare evasion behavior; and sending information about the fare evasionbehavior to a transit authority.
 11. The method for operating anadaptive gateline of claim 10, further comprising: capturing an image ofthe fare evasion behavior, wherein the information about the fareevasion behavior comprises the image.
 12. The method for operating anadaptive gateline of claim 8, wherein: detecting the patron is based ondata from one or both of a movement sensor and a proximity sensor. 13.The method for operating an adaptive gateline of claim 8, wherein:detecting the patron is based on image data from one or more cameras.14. An adaptive gateline, comprising: a number of supports that define apathway therebetween; a barrier that is movably disposed within thepathway; one or more sensors; at least one processor; and a memoryhaving instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause the atleast one processor to: detect a patron approaching a gateline;determine whether the gateline should be operated in a standard mode orin a modified mode based at least in part on data from the one or moresensors; and operating the gateline in the standard mode or in themodified mode based on the determination, wherein: in the modified modethe barrier of the gateline operates to provide one or both of extratime or additional space for the patron to pass through the gatelinerelative to the standard mode, the data is generated based on beaminformation from the one or more sensors, and an opening or closing ofthe barrier is performed based on a timer that changes according tochange in the beam information from the one or more sensors.
 15. Theadaptive gateline of claim 14, wherein: detecting the patron is based ondata wirelessly received from a mobile device of the patron.
 16. Theadaptive gateline of claim 14, wherein: the determination is made basedon a movement speed of the patron.
 17. The adaptive gateline of claim14, wherein: the determination is made based on validation informationof the patron.
 18. The adaptive gateline of claim 14, wherein: thedetermination is made based on optical data associated with the patron.19. The adaptive gateline of claim 18, wherein: the optical dataindicates the presence of one or more selected from a group comprising,a movement aid, a large object, a child, and an animal.
 20. The adaptivegateline of claim 14, wherein: the gateline is one of a plurality ofgatelines provided at an access point; and each of the plurality ofgatelines provides identical functionality.